A Wild World (Wild Kratts Story)

Flight Of The Draco Part 4

You jumped when you heard a cracking noise a couple seconds after Chris sat down.

"Did you hear that?" You asked Chris. He nodded, and both of you heard the cracking sound again. Chris looked down and pulled some dead leaves away from the ground in front of him.

"(____), come look at this!" He said. You walked over and looked at where Chris was staring at. In front of both of you was a nest. In the nest were eight tiny eggs.

"Eggs!" Chris said, deciding right then to be Captain Obvious. The eggs cracked again and you both stared at them.

"And they're hatching..." You added, even though anyone with a brain knew that. Both of you continued to watch the eggs as they jumped and wiggled around the nest.

"Now let's see what you are." Chris said as the eggs started to crack. Soon, a little gray head popped out of one. A very familiar gray head...

"A draco!" You and Chris said at the same time. A couple seconds later, more of the tiny lizards started crawling out of their eggs. You stood up and stepped back so the baby creatures could get a view of the world around them.

"Eggs are laid in that moist, loamy soil, and 32 days later, they hatch." Chris said. You stared at the cute creatures as they started crawling around the nest. The lizards start moving toward the tree.

"What's the first thing you do?" Chris asked rhetorically. The dracos started up the tree as he spoke.

"Climb." You said. Chris got up and started showing different pictures of animals on his creaturepod.

"Off the ground to get away from the predators." Chris explained.

"Like wild pigs." You suggested. Chris nodded.

"And clouded leopards." He said. "To survive, dracos have to get in the trees! Guided by instinct, they climb."

Instinct, that's it! You thought, finally finding a way to help Chris.

"They don't learn it. They don't think about. They just do it. They climb!" You said. Chris looked over at you.

"You're right!" Chris said. You watched as he turned and put a foot on the base of the tree.

"Wait up guys!" He called, and started up the tree after them. You were happy that the whole fear thing was over. He looked down at you.

"Thanks, (____)! Thanks to you, I'm me again. Chris the climbing Wild Kratt! Yahoo!" He said, and kept climbing. You stepped toward the tree, but stumbled on your way over, reminding you that you still didn't have the balance to climb.

Now if only there were some way I could follow. You thought. You saw a vine hanging near the tree, about three feet off the ground, and got an idea. You tied the vine around your waist, and pulled on it to make sure it was secure. Then, you followed Chris up into the tree.

"Hey I see we're nearing the top!" Chris said. You refused to look down, only up to make sure you wouldn't fall behind. You were nervous because the last time you were up this high was when Martin was taken.

"Can you wait for me to catch up now?" You asked. Chris laughed.

"Well, I would, but these little dracos won't!" He said. Since Chris wouldn't slow down, you sped up.

"I can see how this kind of forest canopy gets creatures gliding here." Chris said. You nodded.

"Tall trees, spread out, it'd take to much energy to climb up and down to get around." You said to him. He pointed to a far away tree.

"To get from here to there, they glide. And I think we're nearing a launch point." Chris finished. He climbed up to a branch to rest, and you joined him.

"What happened to the 'messed up balance' charade?" Chris asked you. You crossed your arms and glared at him, but you were smiling playfully.

"It wasn't a charade. I just improvised." You said, pointing at the vine tied around your waist.

"So if you fall, it won't be far." Chris said, finally getting it. You nodded.

"I wasn't gonna let you come up here alone." You said. Chris smiled gratefully at you and you both watched as the dracos went into a takeoff position. Just then you realized that Aviva was talking. You giggled and pointed at Chris's creaturepod. Chris held it up so you could both hear what Aviva was saying.

"But the question is, what parachute-like features does the draco lizard have for gliding?" She asked. Chris pointed at the baby dracos, who were about to take off.

"Here come the answer. This one's ready for his first flight." Chris said. He leaned in closer to see if he could spot anything before it took off.

"Stations, everybody! If we get the secret I can modify the creature power suit with draco power." Aviva said.

"And we can glide through the rain forest and find Martin." Chris said. You didn't even try to correct anyone, even though you knew that no one would be able to find him.

"We're recording." Aviva said to you and Chris. You held up your creaturewatch and started recording the draco yourself.

"Oh, yeah. A draco lizard's first flight. This has never been documented before." Chris said.

"He's getting into his takeoff position..." You said eagerly.

"Eyeing his landing spot..." Chris continued, backing up a little to give the lizard room.

"And he..." You kept going, waiting for the inevitable.

"Jumps!" You and Chris finished at the same time. The draco jumped off the tree and started gliding, using its-

"Wings!" You whisper-yelled. Chris leaned over the edge of the branch, and you held him by his shirt to make sure he wouldn't try and glide before the creature power disc was done.

"He unfurls his wings whoa I don't believe it!" Chris said quickly. He leaned even further over the edge of the branch and you pulled him back.

"Whoa there, big bro. Don't want to fall again." You said, bringing Chris back from his little gliding lizard fanboy moment. He looked at you gratefully, then went back to watching the draco.

"His wings are ribs that stick out from his body." Chris explained. You watched it too.

"With skin spread in between them." You finished. You and Chris looked at each other, then looked at your creaturewatch as Aviva said something.

"Like opening a fan!" She said. You nodded.

"Good analogy. And perfect to describe this lizard's glide." You told her.

"And he's dropping at a forty-five degree angle." Chris said. You watched the lizard as it continued it's glide.

"But he's still falling." You said, watching it go slowly down.

"But his wings are catching the air, so he moves forward while he's falling. That's gliding." Chris explained to you. You nodded in understanding and looked back at the tiny lizard.

"He's nearing the tree." He said. The draco landed perfectly on the trunk of the tree.

"Perfect landing." You said. A couple seconds later, two power discs popped up in front of you and Chris. You looked up to find one of the dracos, and giggled when you saw one on Chris's nose. You tapped the baby lizard and activated your creature power suit. You looked over and saw Chris activate his.

Now to find Martin.